Tomato mozzarella or pizza without fresh basil leaves, that is unthinkable, because this herb ensures the Italian moments in the kitchen with its unique aroma. However, there are a few things to keep in mind so that the taste is not lost when washing.
Do you have to wash basil before eating?
You should wash basil before consumption to remove dirt and possible pesticides. Cut off the leaves along with the stems, rinse them under running water and remove individual leaves. Dry the herb carefully with kitchen paper.
Cleaning basil
Prepare the herb as follows:
- Cut off the leaves with the stem.
- Rush briefly but thoroughly under running water.
- Pluck individual leaves by hand.
- Pat carefully dry with kitchen paper.
Then cut the leaves into fine strips with a very sharp knife. For pesto, you can now put the leaves directly into the electric multi-chopper.
Wash and dry the basil for seasoning
Only harvest basil that you want to dry when the leaves are strong and no longer too soft, because the essential oil content is highest shortly before flowering.
The ideal time is late morning on a dry day when the dew has dried up. If the sun is already very high at midday, it is too late to harvest, as the strong sunlight quickly evaporates the essential oils in the basil. The dried herb then tastes bland.
- Cut off entire shoot tips with sharp, clean scissors.
- Shake the stems gently to remove any coarse dirt.
- Sort out yellow and diseased leaves.
- Wash briefly under running water and pat dry.
- Dry the herb very gently in a warm, dark and well-ventilated place.
- Tie the shoots together into small bouquets and hang them upside down.
- You can tell whether the herb is dried by the fact that the leaves rustle when touched.
Alternatively, you can dry the washed basil in the oven at the lowest temperature or in the dehydrator.
Can you skip washing?
Most basil pots you can buy in the supermarket are sprayed. To ensure that the herb is not contaminated, it should always be rinsed. It is also advisable to wash organic goods.
Since you don't know which animals have crawled on it when you have basil from the garden, thorough cleaning is also recommended.
Tip
Plant supermarket-bought basil in fresh substrate as quickly as possible. Herbs available there not only have to endure a lot of stress during transport, but the nutrient content of the soil used is usually too low for heavy consumers. When placed in new soil, basil lasts for many months and does not, as so often happens, die within a few days.
